Spike-lock for railways.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

G. A. ALLEN & S. H. FBIGLEY.

SPIKE LOCK FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 1904,

2 SHEETS-SHBBT l.

I n: 1 mm IIE I 'H i "I ll N0. 792,745. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. G. A. ALLEN & S. H. FEIGLEY.

SPIKE LOCK FOR RAILWAYS.

UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT Price.

GEORGE A. ALLEN AND SAMUEL H. FEIGLEY, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

SPIKE-LOCK FOR RAI LWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,745, dated June 20, 1905.

i Application filed July 13, 1904. Serial No. 216,805.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE A. ALLEN and SAMUEL H. FEIGLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of l/Vhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spike- Locks for Railways; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others s rilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention has reference to spike-locks for railways, and aims to provide a novel and improved means for preventing the withdrawal of the spike from the tie.

In the passage of trains over the rails there is a constant raising and lowering of such rails in greater or less degree, the ties themselves being frequently alternately depressed and elevated quite perceptibly by reason of the union formed between the rail and ties by the spikes. Each movement of the rail upwardly, however, exerts a force to draw the spike from the tie, and in time, especially after the tie becomes old, the spike becomes loose therein, and a constant watchfulness and redriving of the spikes is required on the part of the railroad employees.

In our device we aim to reinforce the spike by locking the spike-rail and tie firmly together and by anchoring the locking device itself firmly to the tie.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of our invention, showing the same in position ready to bezsecured to the tie. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an outline, showing-our device in process of manufacture. Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, illustrate modified forms of our invention. Fig. 8 is a perspective showing our device fixed to the tie.

Similar ordinals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

1 represents a section of the rail, 2 the tie, and 3 the spike. Thelock comprises an arch 4:, adapted to partially inclose the head of the spike; a pair of plates 5, integral with the lower part of the arch 4c and adapted to project beneath the rail, and a clench-plate 6, secured rigidly to the upper part of the arch and having downwardly-bent projections 7, adapted to be driven into .the tie and secure the device firmly thereto. The ends of the projections 7 may be formed with a chisel edge or may be provided with teeth 8 to enable them to be more readily forced into the wood, and such projections are preferably formed to describe the arc of a circle, so that their ends may be drawn nearer to each other when embedded in the tie.

The plate 6 can be integral with the top of the arch, as shown in Fig. 5; but we prefer to unite it therewith by a plate 9, which extends downwardly in rear of the head of the spike and assists in preventing movement thereof away from the rail.

In practice the plates 5 are forced beneath the rail on each side of the spike until the arch 4 comes in contact with such rail. The projections 7 are then driven into the tie, holding all of the parts firmly together. Any tendency of the rail to draw the spike upwardly out of the tie is overcome by the anchoring of the locking device firmly in the tie. The force which may be exerted by the spike upon the arch 4 is in an upwardly direction; but it will be seen from the position of the projections 7, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, that any strain exerted upon such projections will be in-a line at right angles thereto, precluding all danger of such force drawing the projections from the tie.

Our invention can be easily and cheaply manufactured from sheet metal of suitable thickness, being first stamped out in the form shown in Fig. 3 and bent into the shape hereinbefore shown and described. WVe do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to this mode of construction, however, as there are other methods by which the device can be satisfactorily produced.

In Fig. 4 is shown a form of our device wherein two of the plates 6 are employed, fixed to the outer edges of the plates 5, and Fig. 6 shows still another form wherein the plate 6 is folded above the arch 4 by bending the plate 9. In this form the projections 7 are turned in a direction contrary to that shown in the other figures and driven into the tie in the manner already shown. In Fig. 7 is illustrated a still different form wherein the plates 5 are dispensed with entirely, two plates 6 being attached directly to the arch 4: and secured in the tie on each side thereof.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A spike-lock for railways, comprising an arch, adapted to embrace the head of the spike; a pair of plates, integral with the lower part of such arch, capable of being driven beneath the rail; a clench-plate, integral with said arch, and provided with a pair of angular projections, adapted to be driven into the tie, and

anchor the lock firmly thereto, substantially as shown.

2. In a spike-lock for railways, the combination of the arch 4, adapted to embrace the head of the spike; the plates 5, integral with the lower edges of the arch 4c, and adapted to be forced beneath the rail; the plate 9, integral with the upper part of the arch 4; and the clench-plate 6, integral with the lower edge of the plate 9, and adapted to be rigidly secured in the tie, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. ALLEN. SAMUEL H. FEIGLEY. Witnesses:

I. L. WEAVER, JOHN A. OHALMERs. 

